1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wakeboards and their binding systems, and more particularly to a wakeboard having a tubular frame and a binding system having a foot plate that adjusts in several directions without removal from the wakeboard surface.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Sports Boards: Recreational sport boards for use in water include wakeboards, bodyboards, wakeskates, sailboards, surfboards, and the like. The former three kinds are typically pulled behind powered water craft, in the fashion of water skiing.
Wakeboards are generally fabricated from a shaped foam cell core covered with a hard epoxy-resin. This is also typical of sailboard and surfboard construction. An alternative method of construction entails the fabrication of a laminated plank comprising multiple layers of hard wood, polymer, or a combination. Snowboards are similarly constructed. To date, however, no wakeboard design calls for an economical construction comprising fastening a semi-rigid polymer plank to a tubular alloy frame.
A relatively recent development in sports board construction is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,784, to Moran, which discloses a composite bodyboard having a core, an outer covering enclosing the core, and a separation-resistant terpolymeric intermediate layer disposed between and adhesively bonding at least a portion of the core and covering.
An even more recent design is embodied in U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,961 to Mehrmann, et al., which discloses a soft wakeboard having a central torsion box with front and rear fin blocks for fins, and strengthened foam core blocks on either side to provide a form core material. A closed-cell foam top skin layer and a smooth, polymer bottom skin layer are shaped and bonded to the contoured core material. Vertically extending fins are secured to the fin blocks and extend from the bottom skin layer.
A more mature design is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,913 to Szabad, Jr., which teaches a sports board for surfing, snow sledding, and other sports, having a shaped polyethylene foam core to which a polyethylene film/polyethylene foam sheet laminate is heat laminated over substantially all the surfaces of the core.
Binding Systems: Wakeboard binding systems, as well as binding systems adapted for use on snowboards, have evolved rapidly, though not exhaustively, to meet the demand for easy and comprehensive adjustability. Specifically, a great deal of effort has been directed to devising a binding system wherein each foothold can be rapidly and easily adjusted to fit any foot size, and wherein the spread and splay of each binding mount (fore foot and rear foot) can also be easily adjusted. Such full and rapid adjustability would ideally allow users of a wide range of sizes to easily and quickly move and secure the footholds to meet their predilections or needs. The developments, though considerable, have left much room for improvement, particularly where the rapidity and convenience of binding adjustment is concerned.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,034 to Vukelic, et al., discloses a wakeboard binding which includes a single piece, adjustable, binding overly of elastomeric sheet material, having a pair of spaced apart extended arms, the binding adapted to secured over the top surface of a heel and toe receptacle which form a boot-like enclosure. The binding includes a cushioned foot pad, and heel and toe receptacles, all of which are mounted on support plates, which are, in turn, securely mounted on a wakeboard. The support plates have a plurality of apertures through which machine screws are threaded to secure the binding to the plates. The support plates enable the user to rotate each binding in a range of degrees and to move the plate forward and back over the width of the wakeboard. However, the user cannot move the bindings rearwardly and forward along the length of the board, and no adjustment can be made without physically removing bolt nuts and entirely separating the binding from the board.
The same limitation applies to the binding system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,781 to VonWald, et al., which advances on the foregoing design by little more than the use of hook-and-loop fasteners for adjusting binding tension.
Two needs remain unmet to this time: First, no sportsboard binding system allows the user to adjust foot position in every direction, including rotationally, without the need to remove the binding from the board; second, no sportsboard employs the economical construction technique of fastening a flexible polymer plank to an alloy frame, and, accordingly, no sportsboard is comprised of only these simple structures with an attached binding system.
The wakeboard of the present invention provides numerous advantages over known devices. Its lightweight plastic base has a top surface and a bottom surface and a lightweight tubular alloy frame fastened at the top surface perimeter. The base is angled slightly proximate each of its ends. The frame is filled with a porous thermoplastic resin to resist water intrusion into the frame and to increase buoyancy. The frame is connected to the base with lightweight corrosion resistant blind rivets employed through the bottom surface of the base and into the frame. The base includes centered fin boxes near each end in which a first and a second fin are mounted.
The wakeboard further comprises a novel binding system which facilitates easy, multidirectional adjustability. Each binding system comprises a foot plate, a footpad, and a strap system which secures the foot in well known fashion. The foot plate of the binding system includes arcuate slots, each having a plurality of transverse slots generally perpendicular to the arcuate slot. The foot plate is secured to the top of the wakeboard by two bolts having knobs on each side of the footpad. The entire binding may be adjusted simply by loosening the knobs to allow the plate to be rotated, moved forward or rearwardly along the length of the wakeboard, or transversely along the width of the board to center the feet or alter the balance of the user. All of these adjustments may be made without the need to remove any part of the binding system from the board.